President Donald Trump renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America, and it’s making waves on the internet.
After tense trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed and the US imposed new 50% tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian goods, Trump turned to another tool in his arsenal: rebranding.
On Thursday, Trump issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes that straddles the US-Canada border, as Lake America. As the Canadian Prime Minster Mark Carney wrote on X, the name predates the Confederation of Canada and the US Declaration of Independence. “The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘”the lake is beautiful, the lake is big’,” he wrote.
The name change follows a similar move Trump made last year when he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, a change that Mexico and other countries, including the UK and China, have refused to adopt.
After Thursday’s executive order, it didn’t take long for the internet to respond with memes. Here are the 10 best.
The online mapping service MapQuest is letting users name the lake as they please
We’re not changing the name of Lake Ontario. Name it whatever you want at your leisure: https://t.co/E2I0Ezd57W
(tag us so we can see your work 🙂) pic.twitter.com/x8lIAMt6ab— MapQuest (@MapQuest) August 27, 2026
Some people responded to Trump’s rebrand with a few ideas of their own
President Trump has proposed renaming the continents pic.twitter.com/RkNVktrxSw
— greg (@greg16676935420) August 27, 2026
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Canadian Geese are now called DONALD DUCKS.
— Ryan Winchester (@ryanwinchester) August 27, 2026
— Coloradosearcher (@Coloradosearch1) August 27, 2026
The Strait of Hormoose https://t.co/q3r9CVLEA9
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) August 28, 2026
Others pointed out an awkward acronym
I don’t think I like the idea of changing Lake Ontario.
We teach kids the acronym HOMES to remember the 5 lakes surrounding Michigan.
Changing Ontario to America, what’s the acronym?
SHAME?— Samantha 📿 (@SamanthaRedeemd) August 27, 2026
Lake Ontario now Lake America – I guess learning the HOMES acronym to remember the Great Lakes is no more…
Guess its SHAME from now on— Jay Woods (@JayWoods3) August 27, 2026
The name inspired colorful comparisons
Lake America sounds like what you would call it if the Mall of America was flooded by a burst water pipe.
— Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) August 27, 2026
Lake America sounds more like a movie about a summer camp for kids. It can be a comedy or B-movie horror.
— Emina Melonic ☕🎥 🎞😺 🖖 (@EminaMelonic) August 27, 2026
Gulf of America didn’t even bother me so much but Lake America sounds like a waterslide park where everyone gets tetanus.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 27, 2026
As far as Carney is concerned, it will be named Lake Ontario, “now and always,” he wrote on X.
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